F1 Canadian GP: Bottas Tops Bizarre and Truncated First Practice Session

Valtteri Bottas topped an eventful first practice session at the 2023 Formula 1 Canadian Grand Prix. However, it was far from business as usual during this truncated session that had to be called off due to technical difficulties.

Bottas managed to clock a best lap time of 1m18.728s before proceedings were abruptly halted when Pierre Gasly's Alpine came to a stop on-track between Turns 7 and 8 due to a driveshaft issue.

Initially optimistic about resuming action soon after Gasly's car was pushed behind barriers within five minutes into FP1’s scheduled one-hour duration; teams faced disappointment when authorities did not reopen pit lanes for further running.

Mercedes issued statements explaining that cars were sent down towards end-of-pit-lane believing green flag conditions would resume promptly but ended up having both vehicles wheeled back into garage by Black Arrows mechanics who learned about unresolved race control problems only upon reaching pit lane end-point.

Nearly twenty minutes later into FP1 (counting time elapsed according to Formula 1's rules), the FIA issued an official statement explaining how issues with the local CCTV infrastructure rendered resumption impossible due to safety concerns surrounding pit lane operation.

The local organizers and authorities were working on resolving these problems but indicated that it would take more time as the CCTV system was not synced correctly. The statement also noted that there needed to be a minimum gap of 2.5 hours between FP1 and FP2, leaving no possibility for extending the session.

With just ten minutes left in FP1, it was confirmed that practice would not resume. In addition, event stewards announced a revised schedule for FP2 which will start thirty minutes earlier than initially planned (at 4:30 pm local time) and last thirty minutes longer.

This unusual turn of events came after teams experienced difficulties with electricity supply impacting their preparations for this practice session. When teams attempted to heat up their tires ahead of hitting the track during FP1 warm-up procedures, extra strain on electrical systems caused a power outage.

Teams had to rely on generators as an alternative power source for heating their tires since they are designed based on European standards which differ from those implemented at Canadian circuits like Montreal where this race took place. Though unrelated theoretically, these electricity issues compounded further complications faced by drivers during this disrupted session.

In terms of performance before its premature end, Bottas held first place followed by Aston Martin drivers Lance Stroll and Fernando Alonso in second and third positions respectively; Sergio Perez finished fourth while Verstappen rounded out the top five finishers.

Other notable performances included Oscar Piastri driving his McLaren into sixth position followed by Haas team duo Kevin Magnussen & Nico Hulkenberg who secured seventh & eighth spots respectively; Zhou Guanyu representing Alfa Romeo Racing ORLEN in ninth spot while Carlos Sainz Jr., racing under Scuderia Ferrari team colors rounded off top ten finishers.

Charles Leclerc and Nyck de Vries were the only other drivers besides the top ten to set a lap time during this curtailed session. Yuki Tsunoda, Lando Norris, and Logan Sargeant had their opening efforts disrupted by Gasly's red flag incident, while Alex Albon managed just one installation lap.

Esteban Ocon was not on track when FP1 was initially stopped due to his teammate's issue as his team investigated a problem. Moreover, Lewis Hamilton and George Russell from Mercedes also failed to make it out of the garages in their cars throughout this heavily affected practice run.

The unusual circumstances surrounding FP1 at the Canadian Grand Prix have undoubtedly impacted teams' abilities to gather critical data for car setup ahead of qualifying and race day. However, with an extended FP2 session scheduled later in the day alongside further adjustments to accommodate these disruptions; there remains hope that teams will be able to play catch-up before crucial on-track activities continue.